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% tract ^°
THE BENSON LIBRARY OF HYMNOLOGY
Endowed by the Reverend
Louis Fitzgerald Benson, d.d.

I
LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

5oB
 Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
Princeton Theological Seminary Library

http://archive.org/details/oldoldstoryOOhank
 PUBLISHED BY THE

American ^ract Society,

*£>

130 Nassau-street. J^Iew York.

 ;

(?^f)ELL me the old, old story,

w$k\ Of unseen things above—
0f Jesus an<1 liis %lory
?M^ A Of Jesus and Lis love
'

k
c ^ Tell me the story simply,
As to a little child
For I am weak and weary,
And helpless, and defiled.
THE OLD, OLD STORY.
Tell me the story slowly,
That I may f<.']:r it in —
That wonderful Redemption,
God's remedy for sin

Tell me the story often,

For I forget so soon
The "early dew'' of morning-
Has passed away at noon

Tell me the story softly,

With earnest tones and grave

Remember, I'm the sinner
Whom Jesus came to save.
THE STORY WANTED.

Tell me the story always,

If you would really be.
In any time of trouble,
A comforter to me.

Tell me the same old story

"When you have cause to fear

That this world's empty glory

Is costing me too dear.
 THE OLD. OLD STOKY,

Yes, and when that world's glory

Shall dawn upon my soul,
Tell me the old, old story,
- Christ Jesus makes thee whole !"
THE STORY TOLD. 11

'Or ads me for "the sfory

Of unseen things above;

Of Jesus and his glory.
Of Jesus and his love."
12 THE OLD, OLD STORY.
You want "the old, old story,"
And nothing else will do
Indeed, I cannot wonder,
It always seems so new!

I often wish that some one

Would tell it day
me, each
I never should get tired
Of what he had to say.

But I am wasting moments

Oh how shall I begin
!

To tell " the old, old story,"

How Jesus saves from sin ?

NCE in a pleasant garden

God placed a happy pair;
And all within was' peaceful,
And all around was fair.
But oli they disobeyed Him
!

The one thing He denied

They longed for, took, and tasted-
They ate it, and they died — !
 THE STORY TOLD. 13

^^^^^M^

Yet, in His love and pity,

At once the Lord declared.

How man. though lost and ruined,

Might after all d.
14 THE OLD. OLD STORY.

For one of Eve's descendants,

Not sinful, like the rest,
Should spoil the work of Satan,
And man be saved and blest
He should be son of Adam,
But Son of God as well,
And bring a full salvation
From sin, and death, and hell.

Four thousand years were over

Adam and Eve had died,
The following generation,
And manv more beside.
 :

THE STORY TOLD. IS

At last some shepherds, watching

Beside their flocks at night,
"Were startled in the darkness
By strange and heavenly light

A light of dazzling splendor,

Far brighter than the snn;
They knew 'twas God's own glory
That round about them shone.

One of the liolv angels

Had come from heaven above,
To tell the true, true story
Of Jesus and his love.

He came to bring " glad tidings:"

u
You need not,must not fear;
For Christ, your new-born Saviour,
!"
Lies in the village near
16 THE OLD, OLD STORY.

And many other angels

Took up the story then
" To God on high be glory,
i t

Good-will and peace to men."

 ! ;

THE STORY TOLD. 17

And was it true —that story?

They went at once to see,

And found Him in a manger,

And knew that it was He.

He whom the Father promised

So many ages past,
Had come to save poor sinners
Yes. He had come at last
 THE OLD, OLD STORY.

^-Sir^^ g
'T was his " delight " to do it,

To seek and save the lost,

Although He knew beforehand
Knew all that it would cost.

He lived a life most holy

His every thought was love,
And every action showed it,
To man, and God above.
 ::

[HE BTORI COLD. 19

His path in life was lowly ;

He was a " working-man:"

"Who knows the poor man's trials

So well as Jesus can ?

His last three years were

He could no more be hid
And time and strength would fail me
To t^ll the good He did.

He gave away no mca

For He had none to give
But he had power of healing.
And made dead people live.

i
20 THE OLD, OLD STORY.
He did kind things so kindly,
It seemed His heart's delight
To make poor people happy,
From morning until night.

He always seemed at leisure

For every one who came
However tired or busy,
They found Him just " the same.

He heard each tale of sorrow

With an attentive ear;
And took away each burden
Of suffering, sin, or fear.
 :

THE STORY TOLD.

u
He was a nian of sorrows/'
And when He gave relief.
He gave it like a brother,
" Acquainted with " the " grief."

Such was " The Man Christ Jesus !"

The friend of sinful man

But hush the tale grows sadder
!

I'll tell it— if I cant

22 THE OLD, OLD STORY.
This gentle, holy Jesus,
Without a spot or stain,
By wicked hands was taken,
And crucified, and slam!

Look! look! — if you can bear it

Look at your dying Lord

Stand near the cross and view him
"Behold the Lamb of God!"

His hands and feet are pierced,

He cannot hide his face
And cruel men stand gazing,
In crowds, about the place.
 !

THE STORY TOLD. 23

They laugh at him and moci him

They tell him to "come down/ 5

And leaye that cross of suffering,

And change it for a crown.
24 THE OLD, OLD STORY. '

Why did lie bear their mockings ?

Was he "the mighty God"?
And could he have destroyed them
With one almighty word ?

Yes, Jesus could have done it;

But let me tell you why

He would not use his power,
But choose to stay and die.

He had become our surety

And what we could not pay,
He paid instead, and for us,
On that one dreadful clay.

For you and me he suffered

'Twas for our sins he died;
And " not for oar sins only,"

But " all the world's " beside !

!"
And now, the w ork
r
is " finished
The sinner's debt is paid,
Because on "Christ the righteous"
The sin of all was laid.
 THE ST011Y TOLD. 25

O wonderful redemption,
God's remedy for sin,

The door of heaven is open,

And you may enter in.

For God released our " Surety/'

To show the work was done
And Jesus' resurrection
Declared the victory wan I

And now, he has ascended,

And sits upon the throne,
u
To be a prince and Saviour/
And claim us for his own.
4
26 THE OLD, OLD STOEY.
But when lie left his people,
He promised them to send
" The Comforter " to teach them,

And guide them, to the end.

And that same Holy Spirit

Is with us to this day,
And ready now to teach us
The "new and living way."
^ \ ^^ <g S \ D VJ^M"^© T=Tf § _
 :'"
'

HIS ia - the old, old story

Say, do yon take it i?i
—
£ This wonderful redemption.
% God's remedy for sin ?
 THE OLD, OLD STORY.
Do you at heart believe it?
Do you believe it 's true,
And meant for every sinner,
And, therefore, meant for you ?

Then take this "great salvation;"

For Jesus loves to give!
Believe and you receive it,
!

Believe and you shall live.

!
 ; !

THE STORY WELCOMED. ?A

And if this simple message

Has now brought peace to yon,
Make known " the old, old story/'
For others need it too.

Let every body see it,

That Christ has made you free

And when it sets one longing,
Say, ''Jesus died for th&

Soon, soon, our eyes shall see Him

And in our home above
We '11 sing the old, old -story

Or' Jesus and Ids love.